Steak 'n Shake Hires a ‘Chief MAHA Officer’ From HHS
Steak 'n Shake, already committed to beef tallow, on April 21 hired a recent Health & Human Services advisor as its first “Chief MAHA officer” -- marking a new step in what the fast-food chain is calling a drive toward healthier, more transparent ingredients.
Michael Boes will take on the new executive role, which is a nod to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. The Indianapolis-based company announced on social media Boes is "dedicated to advancing nutritional integrity, ingredient transparency and the healthiness of our products."
The fast food chain has been quick to jump on the related bandwagons of the MAHA movement and Robert Kennedy, secretary of the Health & Human Services Dept. In one case, Steak 'n Shake got a step ahead of the secretary when the chain announced last year it would begin cooking its french fries in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil; the chain said it was a return to the "authentic way" of frying potatoes.
In announcing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans earlier this year, Kennedy touted a return to animal-based products on many fronts, and specifically suggested that beef tallow was a healthy oil for frying and other cooking purposes. This year, Steak 'n Shake switched its tater tots and other fried products to the cow-based fat.
Boes’ LinkedIn profile indicates he was a presidential appointee to HHS from April 2025 till this April, working on health care policy and strategic initiatives.
“During my time serving Secretary Kennedy, I had countless conversations with industry partners about returning to real food,” Boes said on LinkedIn. “Time and again, I heard the same hesitation: ‘Our customers aren't demanding this.’ Steak n Shake challenged that narrative — and growth followed.
“Fast food doesn't have to mean processed, complicated or artificial. It used to mean real, simple, and delicious — and it can again. I'm grateful to join an organization so deeply committed to that mission, and I look forward to helping drive the next chapter of growth on that foundation.”
Boes also thanked Secretary Kennedy and others in FDA and HHS “who have empowered the American people to demand change from the private sector and make MAHA what it is today.”
He’s also been touting Steak ’n Shake’s use of bitcoin.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.